I wrote about my mixed feelings regarding my birthday here the other day, but it deserves an update. I may never lose those birthday blues, but I have to say this year was a pretty great one! On my actual day, we had a nice romantic dinner at a Casa Portuguesa in Polanco, which I saw as a nod to our honeymoon in Lisbon. I really let down my hair and had two kir royales, along with noodles and mixed shellfish in squid ink and shared a pasteis de nata for dessert.

I was content with my birthday and had no idea my sweet husband was planning a surprise party for the coming weekend! Several friends from church and a few from not-church joined us for a dinner in our house, including two different kinds of lasagna (meat or shrimp) and this amazing pear-strawberry salad prepared BY said sweet husband. So just when I thought I had packed it away for another year, we really did my birthday up right! So happy day to me and major big thanks to him, the guests and any others who helped pull it off.